Enclosed ink trough with ink roller shaft sealing means



Nov. 22, 1966 L. J. CAHN 3,286,627

ENCLOSED INK TROUGH WITH INK ROLLER SHAFT SEALING MEANS Filed Aug. 13, 1964 S INVENTOR. LEO/Y 1. CAI/IV United States Patent 3,286,627 ENCLOSED INK TROUGH WITH INK ROLLER SHAFT SEALING MEANS Leon J. Cahn, Long Island City, N.Y.,. assignor to Lee Machinery Corporation, New York, N.Y. Filed Aug. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 389,325 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-364) The present invention relates to printing press apparatus and more particularly to a novel and improved ink fountain for a printing press.

In printing presses, and particularly flexographic presses, the inkingroller'is adapted for rotation into the ink reservoir contained in an associated ink fountain. 'I'he inking roller is in rolling contact with an associated ink fountain roller to which it transfers ink, the ink being transferred thence to an associated iprinting plate cylinder for suitable application to a running web travelling therepast.

The present invention =isidirected' toa novel and improved ink fountain construction having an ink trough movable vertically into and out of operative position and provided with apair of substantially continuous support edges when in operative position and a complementary ink fountain hood adapted to be seated-on the support edges of the trough to enclose the trough and associated printing press mechanism to prevent ink spillage during operation of the press.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious herefr-om or may be learned by practice with the 3,286,627 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 "ice I with a pair of spaced handles 34 and having an access invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The foregonig general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory, but are not restrictive of the invention.

Of the drawings illustrating by way of example preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein like numerals designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention in operative position;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with the trough in nonoperative position;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

Turning to the drawings, the novel and improved ink fountain of the present invention comprises a trough section 10 and a hood section 12.

In opertaive position, the inking roller 14 is adapted to be contained within trough 10 with the inking roller support shaft 16 passing therethrough to associated drive and support means on the press (not shown).

Trough 10 comprises generally a bottom plate :18, a front plate 20, a back plate 22 somewhat higher than front plate 20 for reasons set forth hereinbelow and a pair of side plates 24 and 26, each having a U-shaped recess 28 therein through which the ends of shaft 16 are accommodated.

The U-sh-ape recess 28 permits free movement of trough 10 vertically into and out of operative inking position on support plate 30 as described in detail in my copending patent application entitled, Improvements in Flexographic Presses, Serial No. 230,953 filed October 16, 1962, now Patent 3,23 3,529, issued February 8, 1966.

In like manner, in operative position, hood section 12 is adapted to enclose trough 10 and also contain therein the ink fountain roller 15 with the ink fountain roller support shaft 17 passing therethrough to associate-d drive and support means on the press (not shown).

Hood section 12 comprises a top section 32 provided opening 36 therein normally closed .bya removable plate 38. Hood 12 also includes a back plate 40, a somewhat longer front plate 42 and side :plates 44 and 46, each of which has an elongated front section 48 adjacent front plate 42 and an inverted U-shaped opening 50 adapted to accommodatethe ends of shaft .17.

In operation, when the ink supply S is to be replenished or changed, hood section 12 is removed from enclosing position shown in FIG. 1 and trough 10 is in its lowered or non-operative position shown in FIG. 2. When the ink supply has been replenished or changed, as desired, trough 10 is raised to its operative position adjacent inking roller 14 as shown in FIG. 1. .It will be understood that as'trough 10 is raised, the ends of shaft 16 enter accommodating recesses 28 in trough side plates 24 and 26 as are seated in the bottom section of such recesses .28 when trough 10 is in full operative position. (See FIG; 3.)

To enclose the remainder of recess 28 and provide a suitable support edge for hood 12 as described hereinbelow, a removable closure element 52 is provided on each side plate 24 and 26 and conveniently attached thereto as by chain 53 to prevent misplacing thereof. Element 52 is formed with an arcuate lower section 54 conforming to the upper periphery of shaft 16. Likewise, element 52 includes a pair of keyway or grooved sections 56 and 58 on each side thereof which are adapted to slidably receive therein associated side sections 60 and 62 of U-shaped recess 28. In seated position on shaft 16, element 52 encloses the remainder of recess 28 and provides a substantial continuous side edge 64 on trough 10.

To enclose trough 10, now in operative position, hood 12 is placed thereon as shown in FIG. 1 with the front plate 42, the back plate 40 and side plates 44 and 46 so constructed and arranged as to fit within their associated counterparts on trough 10. (See FIGS. 1 and 3.)

It will be understood that when hood 12 is in operative covering position shaft 17 is accommodated in openings 50 substantially as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

To support hood 12 in operative covering position, a side flange 66 (only one of which is shown) is provided on each side plate 44 and 46 and is adapted to rest upon the continuous edge 64 formed by its associated side plate 24 or 26 and closure element 52.

By means of this arrangement, hood 12 can be readily lifted by handles 34 into and out of operative position by the press operator and greatly facilitates access to the ink fountain trough.

Then there is disclosed a novel yet highly useful and efiicient ink fountain structure for a printing press which is simple and easy to operate.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ink fountain for holding a supply of ink for the ink fountain roller of a printing press, the combination comprising a trough for holding said supply of ink therein, said trough including a front plate, a back plate displaced opposite to said front plate, a bottom plate and a pair of opposed side plates forming a trough open at the top, each of said side plates being provided with a generally U-shaped recess to accommodate the shaft of said ink fountain roller, a closure element movably mounted in each of said recesses and having a portion thereof complementary with the arcuate portion of said recess to completely enclose the shaft of said ink fountain roller therebetwe-en, said closure elements being so dimensioned that the top edge of each of said closure elements is aligned with the top edge of its respective trough side plate to form a generally straight continuous support edge therewith, a hood enclosing said trough and having a top plate, back plate, a front plate, a pair of side plates complementary to respective members forming said trough and a supporting flange on each of said hood side plates normally resting on the continuous support edge comprising the top edge of an associated closure element and trough side plate top edge there-by effecting a seal about said ink fountain roller shaft While enclosing said ink fountain.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said closure elements are slidably mounted in said recesses and each includes a pair of side keyways adapted to receive the portions of said trough side plates adjacent said U-shaped recess whereby said element is slidably and removably in position in said recess.

3. An ink fountain for a flex-ographi-c press comprising a trough for holding a supply of ink therein, means mounting said trough for vertical movement into and out of operative position adjacent an associated ink fountain roller, said trough including a front plate, a back plate displaced opposite to said front plate, a bottom plate and a pair of opposed side plates forming a trough open at the top, each of said side plates being provided with a generally U-shaped recess to accommodate theshaft of said ink fountain roller and permit ready movement of said trough into and out of operative position, a closure element adapted to be removably received in each of said recesses, said closure element being so dimensioned that the top edge of each of said closure elements is aligned with the top edge of its respective trough side plate to fonrn a generally straight continuous support edge therewith, a hood enclosing said trough and having a top plate, a back plate, a front plate, and a supporting surface on each of said hood side plates adapted to be normally disposed on the continuous support edge comprising the top edge of an associated closure element and trough side plate top edge thereby affecting a seal about said ink fountain roller shaft while enclosing said ink fountain.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said closure elements are vertically slidably mounted in said recesses and each includes a pair of side keyways adapted to receive therein the portions of said trough side plates adjacent said U-shaped recess whereby said element is slidably and rernovably in position in said recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,651 2/1872 Thorp 1013 64 1,451,726 4/1923 Zuckeriman l01364 X 3,155,037 11/1964 Haskin 10l364 FOREIGN PATENTS 615,585 7/1935 Germany.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

J. R. FISHER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN INK FOUNTAIN FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OF INK FOR THE INK FOUNTAIN ROLLER OF A PRINTING PRESS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A TROUGH FOR HOLDING SAID SUPPLY OF INK THEREIN, SAID TROUGH INCLUDING A FRONT PLATE, A BACK PLATE DISPLACED OPPOSITE TO SAID FRONT PLATE, A BOTTOM PLATE AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDE PLATES FORMING A TROUGH OPEN AT THE TOP, EACH OF SAID SIDE PLATES BEING PROVIDED WITH A GENERALLY U-SHAPED RECESS TO ACCOMMODATE THE SHAFT OF SAID INK FOUNTAIN ROLLER, A CLOSURE ELEMENT MOVABLY MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID RECESSES AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF COMPLEMENTARY WITH THE ARCUATE PORTION OF SAID RECESS TO COMPLETELY ENCLOSE THE SHAFT OF SAID INK FOUNTAIN ROLLER THEREBETWEEN, SAID CLOSURE ELEMENTS BEING SO DIMENSIONED THAT THE TOP EDGE OF EACH OF SAID CLOSURE ELEMETS IS ALIGNED WITH THE TOP EDGE OF ITS RESPECTIVE TROUGH SIDE PLAT TO FORM A GENERALLY STRAIGHT CONTINUOUS SUPPORT EDGE THEREWITH, A HOOD ENCLOSING SAID TROUGH AND HAVING A TOP PLATE, BACK PLATE, A FRONT PLATE, A PAIR OF SIDE PLATES COMPLEMENTARY TO RESPECTIVE MEMBERS FORMING SAID TROUGH AND A SUPPORTING FLANGE ON EACH OF SAID HOOD SIDE PLATES NORMALLY RESTING ON THE CONTINUOUS SUPPORT EDGE COMPRISING THE TOP EDGE OF AN ASSOCIATED CLOSURE ELEMENT AND TROUGH SIDE PLATE TOP EDGE THEREBY EFFECTING A SEAL ABOUT SAID INK FOUNTAIN ROLLER SHAFT WHILE ENCLOSING SAID INK FOUNTAIN. 